Study of the properties of depressor additive “Difron-3970” and the new composition

This article is the first to investigate the effect of the depressor additive “Difron-3970” and the new composition with the conventional name A-1 as an original depressor against asphaltene-resin-paraffin deposits and freezing temperature in a highly paraffinic oil sample. Laboratory tests were conducted to examine the effects of “Difron-3970” depressant additive and A-1 composition on asphaltene-resin-paraffin deposits in the absence of reagents using the cold-finger method. Experiments were conducted at temperatures of 0°C, 5°C, 10°C, 15°C, 20°C, 25°C and 30°C for a period of two hours and the mass of paraffin deposits collected on the tube surface was then determined using an analytical balance. It was determined that, in all three cases, the amount of paraffin deposits increased over time, but decreased as temperature rose. The effectiveness of the “Difron-3970” depressant additive and the new composition A-1 was evaluated at concentrations of 350, 450, 550, 650, 750 g/t. In comparison to the depressant additive, the A-1 composition demonstrated superior efficacy against paraffin deposits in experiments conducted using the cold-finger method, resulting in a significant reduction. Based on the results of numerous experiments carried out using the cold-finger method, the efficiency of both reagents at the temperature of 5°C was mathematically calculated, and their effectiveness against paraffin precipitation was determined. At the optimal concentration of 750 g/t, the effectiveness rates of “Difron-3970” and the A-1 composition against paraffin precipitation over 120 minutes were 90.8% and 95%, respectively. The percentages of asphaltene, resin and paraffins in oil deposits were determined. It was observed that asphaltene and resin levels increase in deposits formed at higher temperatures in the cold-finger over extended periods, while paraffin levels decrease. The impact of “Difron-3970” and A-1 composition on the freezing point was also determined showing that, at optimal concentrations, the oil’s freezing temperature dropped from +18°C to –1°C and –5°C, respectively. Additionally, the effect of A-1 composition on the growth rate of sulfate-reducing bacteria in Postgate-B nutrient medium was studied over fifteen days. The bactericidal effect of the composition at different concentrations was calculated based on the change in the concentration of biogenic hydrogen sulfide in the medium. It was found that the bactericidal effect of A-1composition at concentrations of 350, 450, 550, 650, 750 g/t ranged from 26–62%, 29–68%, 41–77%, 48–89%, 55–98%, respectively.